What to Do When Life Feels Like a Revolving Reel of Existential Crises
And you can’t tell whether you’re stuck or in motion
I first learned the term midlife crisis during an inconspicuous undergrad class. We were reading about the psycho-social developmental stages of humans, the various theories that had made their way into our books, and their analysis and criticisms.
My first reaction was that of shock, as back then, I had my life thoroughly planned out. By 45, I would be high up on the corporate ladder, enjoying the view. I would mentor young women and help them reach leadership positions.
If I met a person who was brave enough to deal with me, then I would be sharing my life with them. Otherwise, cats, plants, or even books would do. What could possibly be the reason behind a crisis at this point?
I had a more perplexing reaction when I heard about the quarter-life crisis. By 25, I would have extricated myself from my previous life and would be living an independent one in a big city, doing what I want, when I want.
I had been running towards this goal all my life, and I could not imagine, could not think of anything that would make me even remotely sad.
